Creatures

A fantasy role-playing of the other things.


Creatures takes place in the primeval world before humankind, when one continent graced the world and the rest
was water. Here those things long thought myth still rule, hunt, and play. Creatures is an RPG of the other things
in fantasy, of dragons, chimeras, unicorns, and gryphons--as heroes themselves.



Creatures are measured by two traits and its subdivisions: Instinct, and Intellect.


Under Instinct there are Two attributes: Vigor, and Cunning
Under Intellect there are two traits: Enchantment, and Will

(Perhaps add Ferocity and Reason?)


These sub-traits (attributes) are rated from pools of 1-5 d6es where the more dice in a trait the more
effective it is.

However dice are not "fixed" solely to be used by a single attribute. A heroic creature can borrow
dice from the opposite pool--borrowing Intellect to support Instinct, and Instinct to support intellect.

Each time they do this a check mark is made in the boxes/ovals under Instinct or Intellect. There are a set of two (one red, one black)
under each trait--when all the red boxes are filled under a trait you move a die from one attribute under that trait to one attribute under
the other trait. Black boxes indicate experience earned to improve the traits in that area--whenever an adventure is completed without borrowing
a dice from the opposing trait a hero recieves a mark in a black box, when it is filled they may add 1 die to one of the two traits above them.



As dice are lost to one side the character slowly moves towards one of two extremes: Bestial Creatures which are pure might and animal cunning--with no wonder or magic or imagination.
Dragons become dinosaurs, Unicorns become horses, Chimeras become a version of their dominant (body) animal, and so on.

As points are shifted to Intellect the creature becomes more magical, more fanciful, slowly becoming less and less real until it is simply imaginary, and invisible to everyone but their closest
friends. Once a creature moves to either extreme it is up to their friends to respark the magic in them, or reground them in the world so they can be played
as heroic creatures again.


In addition to the traits each Creature has a health box and a Mood box, these
are used when the creature faces serious risks to either and can lead to injury or even death from which
there is no recovery, or to torper--mood death, where the creature hibernates until it recovers.


Playable creatures cover the vast menagerie of non-humanoid fantasy creatures the primary examples being Dragons, Chimeras, Unicorns
and talking "Great Beasts' (animals: Wolves, Bears, Eagles, etc)


9 Dice are split between the Vigor, Cunning, Enchantment, and Will attributes.


Unicorns have +1 Vigor and +1 Will
Dragons have +1 Cunning and +1 Enchantment
Chimera have +1 Vigor and +1 Enchantment
Great Beasts have +1 Cunning and +1 Will

Chimera include: Manticores, Gryphons, Basilisks, questing beasts and other animal mixes.

Difficulties: Easy 5
Challenging 10
Hard 15

Simply roll all trait dice that are appropriate and add them together to beat the challenge.


Tasks should be assigned to the most relevant trait: Sneaking falls under Cunning, Fighting falls under
Vigor, Magic falls under Enchantment, and Arguing falls under Will.





Dragons
The largest creature granted magics gift and given sentience, dragons vary greatly in size beginning
as wyrmling hatched from eggs no larger than a mortal Earth beach ball. In a few weeks they grow
from wyrmling to wyrm about twice the length of a horse from snout to tail. These are the dragon
ages we most hear from when they're young enough to be foolish, and their appetites do not yet
drive them to scourge the land.


Dragons are also the most tied to elemental forces. While other Creatures might pursue interests
in various elemental magics, Dragons are tied to such forces by their birth.


Fire

Fire Dragons begin as voracious, energetic sprites of spirit, consuming vast quanities of food and moving
from topic of curiosity to topic with a mad abandon like a fire seeking to burn some new tinder. They
spend early life mostly hunting Obsidian fields near volcanoes, or dwelling in lava pools or sulfur laden
hotsprings (the little water they find comfortable).

As they age fire dragons become more fiery, their eyes burn, their nostrils smoke. The primary
magic of Fire dragons is flame and its byproducts, smoke, ash, fire, light, all are a fire dragon's province.

Fire dragons coloration varies from black as charred wood or coal to reds, yellows, orange, golds, and some flame
blue. Most fire dragons have typical beast builds with four legs and two wings a long neck and tail with reptilian head.



Water
Water dragons begin as serpentine, legless amphibians who spend most of their time in the water chasing
brightly colored bits from the bottom of seas, lakes and streams. As they grow a bit slower than
most other dragon breeds they use the water (and its lack of threats to anything their
size) quite often
as their home and hearth. Water dragons are often collectors with a bit of a mischeif spirit, they can
run deep and thoughful, but are often a bit more cold and distant than other dragons.


Water dragons of Wyrm age or older are equally happy in air or under water, and as they age they
develop more aquatic traits--fins and beards of catfish, the ability to sense life by its inner
spark in the dark depths, bioluminescent spots as patterns across their scales. Their magic
is water in all its forms, from rain, to ice, to steam. Water dragons grow to be the second largest
kindred of dragons.

Water dragon coloration varies as much as the fish of the oceans, often silver or opalescent white with greens, blues
and others common. Most water dragons have serpentine builds with at least two legs, but often four. Wings are not common and
tend to be more fin like. Water dragons also tend to have oversized heads with tendril-beards and fincrests.




Air Dragons
Air, or Sky dragons begin as wyrmlings with massive oversized wings that don't fit their vastly smaller bodies. The smallest of dragon-kind
throughout all ages they still have impressive wingspans. Air dragons unlike Fire dragons are night "flighty" instead they tend to
go withthe flow, accepting things more readily and lightly without the desperate abandon fire dragons possess.

As they age air dragons often become more air adapted, streamlined features like narrow faces, and wings designed for soaring or
diving. They do tend to have stronglegs throw themselves into the sky and to pounce prey both ground based as well as flying
animals to eat. Air Dragon magic tends to manipulate air and weather, they can conjure storms, or toss out gusts or deadly to flying
creatures windhear, as well as manipulate gases.


Air dragons are often light green, or light blue, some come in white or gray and few number get deep blue of the night sky. They have
more birdlike builds with thin forearms and heavy backlimbs and massive wings often with narrow head and fins or ridges that
aid them in flight.






Earth Dragons
The Earth Dragons are born wingless, many are serpentine and legless but not all. They have a mix of behaviours
at the wyrm age from ponderous and calm to sneaky and snakelike. This may have to do with their hunting methods
and need for patience in waiting for prey, they are not flicker fast like fire, or sleek swimmers, or agile aerial
acrobats. Instead they stick as close to the ground as possible. The few who grow wings and can fly often do so
only in short leaps and do so low to the ground (these sorts are fond of Mountain terrain). Most of those that
remain wingless prefer sand, or forested landscapes where they use caution in hunting and adapt to there environment
somewhat more broadly than the other dragons. Many earth dragons develop spines, or furred animal like traits, or even
shells or armor like various other animals.




Earth dragon magic is slow to act, but terrible when it is unleashed, it can command plants, or rocks, shape stone or mud, and
crack open the very crust of the earth. It can burrow or call up a sandstorm.

Earth dragons coloration often begins as brown, but may darken into black of peat soil or lighten and shift to greens and browns of
trees, or red-gold of fallen leaves, or sandy metallic hues of bronze or brass for desert dwellers. Earth Dragons builds are often
beast like but quite a few are serpentine as well, those types have either no legs or stubby legs clinging close to the earth
element.


Do all dragons breath fire?

No, only fire dragons breath fire, and even then it is an aspect of their magic a focused and powerful effect to be sure. Other dragons
if they wish to exhale powerful elemental forces may adapt their magic to fire blasts of stonescouring sand, lightning or hurricane force
wind gusts, or even scalding steam. Any dragon can expel magical energy this way, but it is likely to fit their elemental connection.



Do all Dragons Fly?
No, some do some don't. It depends on the player's choice and the type of breed they choose.

Do all Dragons eat meat?
Yes, they are predators, and they eat a LOT of meat as they get bigger and bigger. Only nasty corrupted dragons (not the focus of this game) would
eat sentient animals.




Chimera

Chimera are creatures born of the first chaotic spark of magic, unlike dragons they are less elemental and more primal, they are
as if magic is trying to find the best combination of other things to thrive in the Mythic Land.



Chimera made up of what may often seem a mis-mached collection of other animal parts. Bodies of horses, insects , bears, lions, with heads of goats, birds,dragons, lions, deer usually not matching
the original body, and then legs and tails from other animals. Some Chimera may seem mostly normal but with extra heads or extra limbs
but they are something often unique to behold. Most Chimera's begin as a live born creature that slowly grows to full size in a time period based
mostly on the largest species that makes up its parts. Chimera's magic seems to be based on chaos in principle, but often is indivudually adapted.
Some for example with dragon parts tend to "breath fire" albeit their mastery of magic tends to be limited.



Some species of Chimera breed true creating numerous subtypes: Gryphons for example are a chimera with a feline predators body, head and forelimbs
of a predatory bird, and the birds wings. Since the parts are matched --being only two species that seem merged into a single new one. Gryphons
for example have been noted that include the classic Eagle/Lion mix, as well as Cheetah or Leopard and Hawk, and Owls and Tigers among other numerous varients.
All Gryphon can fly and have magic related to protection or defense.



Basilisks are another known species that breeds true that appears like a reptilian hen or rooster, they have magics specializing in
poisons/toxins and other lethal effects, being one of the smaller chimera they seem to take umbrage with the other sentients, although
more fall to corruption than Gryphons, most remain on the side of good.



When creating chimera player's should pick their favorite animals, or favorite ones they want to be mixed, and create something fun.
Chimeras personalities are shaped entirely by the choice of the players and can be as similar or dissimilar to the basic animals as possible.
attributes for Chimeras should represent what form the player chooses--a pygmy owl/housecat gryphon may need to have high cunning and will to represent
its behaviours, but low vigor to represent its small size.



Great Beasts

Great Beasts are magically enhanced normal animals, they grow to giant size, and much improved wisdom and intellect. They are like
all creatures capable of speech. Though normal animals do not tend to produce Great Beasts, rather they seem to be a large group
enhanced in the past that continue to reproduce.


Great Beast magic tends to be thoughful, often tied to the animals nature, a Great Eagle's magic will differ from a Great Wolf,
which will differ from a Great Tortoise. They tend to take twice as long to grow from newborns or newly hatched to the young adult
stage. Many great beasts have pelts, skins, or other markedly beautiful, luxiourous, or unique features. Such as a Great White Tortoise
or a Great Wolf with fur like the midnight sky, or the Great Lion with a mane of gold. Unlike Chimera these creatures other than their
unique feature and exalted size (at least twice normal size) they appear very much like their mundane kin.






Unicorns
The last of the truly remarkable and widespread creatures of the Mythic Land, Unicorns appear as horses but with cloven hooves and with
a single spiral horn that rises from their brows. Despite what may seem like a relation to Chimeras, Unicorns are far more
consistent and reliable. They are born like other mammals and raise their young together in the herd. Young Adult Unicorns often
seperate from the heard to investigate the world for a time.

Unicorns magic varies with the herd, many herds focus on protection, some on knowledge gathering magics, and others still on whatever may be seen
as best for the herds survival. Healing is particularly common as well as purification of corruption.





Do Creatures of the Mythic Land get along?
Mostly. Though rivalries and conflict exist there is a social truce of sorts between the sentient. The players assume the role
of those on the side of light striving to work together in spite of those rivalries to hold back the dark and its corrupting power.


What Do Creatures of the Mythic Land, Do?
Play with each other as children and young adults, explore the Mythic Land, Fight things corrupted by or spaned from the Dark, as well
as make choices about the future of the Mythic Land by examining their own nature and striving to maintain a balance between Intellect and Instinct.

I'm no expert at game creation, so take it for what it's worth...

I really like the general idea. I've never been a big fan of them-thar new-fangled dice pools , so I'm wondering if there's another way to accomplish the same goal with single die mechanics.

The biggest question I have is - what do the creatures do? The advantage of most traditional fantasy is that you have the human(oids) who have the drive to hunt the evil down, gain wealth and fame, etc. What will be the motivations of the creatures to adventure/interact/etc.?

Lastly, After having just finished reading my children the first Narnia book, and 1/3 through second (Lion/Witch/Wardobe), this reminds me of Narnia. All creatures, some "mythical," with a few humanoids (dwarves, fey) until a couple of humans come along.

Quote from: James J SkachI really like the general idea. I've never been a big fan of them-thar new-fangled dice pools , so I'm wondering if there's another way to accomplish the same goal with single die mechanics.

The biggest question I have is - what do the creatures do? The advantage of most traditional fantasy is that you have the human(oids) who have the drive to hunt the evil down, gain wealth and fame, etc. What will be the motivations of the creatures to adventure/interact/etc.?

Lastly, After having just finished reading my children the first Narnia book, and 1/3 through second (Lion/Witch/Wardobe), this reminds me of Narnia. All creatures, some "mythical," with a few humanoids (dwarves, fey) until a couple of humans come along.

Not without losing the tangible tactile ease of physical objects. (The idea is to intentionally create a game where the ease of use is there for children learning it, but isn't so simple as to be worthless to adults, or even talk down to children.)  

Cards might also work, but they aren't as durable as dice, and d6's are about the easiest dice to get.

You may note that I've included "what do Creatures do" at the end: Explore, investigate, play (in fact socialization in game amongst species will be a focus), as well as "fight creatures of the Dark". So you have traditional adventure aspects that work for non-humanoids, and some interesting things. In fact one of the scenarios I'm aiming at is a magical ball game where, practically anything goes except of course cheating...(and of course a team will cheat..)

My bad, missed that stuff in the original read.  Perhaps it was the formatting.

What age range are you talking about (out of curiosity)?  I've been so trying to get something of a RPG-lite to play with my son, but nothing has quite hit me yet.  I've browsed some existing stuff, but nothing has grabbed me by the balls and said "You have to play this with your son!"

So we're making up rules for plastic army men (one of these days I'll download Sandbox stuff).

One last thing that just hit me.  Dice pools will provide you the tactile effect, passing dice back and forth. But you will hit a mental barrier for kids (I think) in getting them to grasp the concept.  As I mentioned, I'm making up rules for my son and I to play his army guys.  I just introduced the idea the different damage will occur depending on what's being fired.  Took a while to get him to grasp it. (another reason I'm askig about age - my experience might not be relevant).

Quote from: James J SkachOne last thing that just hit me.  Dice pools will provide you the tactile effect, passing dice back and forth. But you will hit a mental barrier for kids (I think) in getting them to grasp the concept.  As I mentioned, I'm making up rules for my son and I to play his army guys.  I just introduced the idea the different damage will occur depending on what's being fired.  Took a while to get him to grasp it. (another reason I'm askig about age - my experience might not be relevant).

As to formatting well I just put this stuff in a text doc and copy and pasted may be the issue, real formatting will come after a test or two. (Cause plain text gives me hives )




I was thinking 7+, I'm wanting basic math skills (1st grade or so) but I think the game will ease even younger kids into the basic idea with some help from adults/older kids. (After all "RAR I'm a dragon!" will be Ferocity, while "Haha I flitter pretty I'm a faery dragon!" would sork for Intellect/Imagination

I've got a nephew (10) and neice (7) (I'm always adding a year to my nephew it seems *LOL*) to test this out with--though they have some experience with RPG's


I've added a bit for flavor fluff. I'm trying to keep it mythic imagery and simple yet not dumbed down. (I mean frak I started with Basic D&D at 8 so )



The Mythic Land

The Mythic Land began as all such places, in the mists of the dim unremembered past beyond the fog of the most ancient and lasting memories.

What the Creatures of the Mythic Land know is that once the world was water and as land
rose and the first things legged and finned moved ashore a spark of power flushed across the land.

The magical rush of power exploded out from the heavens and washed the land in eldritch waves that warped the land, and the sea, it changed and aged and became different than it might have been without that spark, and in that flush the first things upon the land and the endless things below were touched by its power and a few, a precious few became more, became alien, became aware.

They were the first Creatures of the Mythic Land.



Whatever began the spark, whatever forces gave magic to the Mythic Land, also gave the means to some of the Creatures to dabble in its power to tap there primal natures, and its power to make things happen. This is what seperates the Mythic Land from other worlds where small brained massive lizard like creatures hunt for prey, where small mammals squeak and squirm beneath there feet, and the first feathered things take flight.

No, the world of creatures is young, born anew of the spark, and blessed with the age of imagination born of the magics of the land.


Yet in magic as all things there is a dark side, those who reach beyond the spark for power into the long night of the void and who are warped by the Dark, outside the world.
The Dark is the enemy of all things touched by the spark, of all life itself that can create, it is the essence of corrupt entropy.

If its ok with you, Silverlion, I'm going to sticky this here, as an example of stuff I want to see more of, and to make sure it doesn't get lost so people can comment and contribute to it.

A first "project" for this forum, if you will.

RPGPundit

I only have two words to that Pundit: Thank You.


Alright. What would you think of utilizing fixed attributes (classic style Vigor 5 Cunning 4) but then use two pools of dice equalling Ferocity and Fancy (I need a better name than "Reason" or "imagination" that ties to both thinking and dreaming/magic) The game will suggest you get a pool for each side of different colors--so Red (blood) for Ferocity, and Blue (Sky) for Fancy.

This gives a color coding we can put on the PC sheets written down, as well as give players a visual cue to quickly watch their shifts in play.

Hrms mostly musing. I'm thinking that may be too flaky.

Anyone have other non-humanoid classic fantasy creatures I should consider adding? (that don't count as Chimera like Ant-Lions )

How about the Phoenix?

Ah, good one. Phoenix, Bennu, Firebirds, Thunderbirds. Perhaps I need to add elemental Great Beasts? (Would allow for Water Horses, and the like too0

Test PC Sheet:

http://www.freewebs.com/tome/CreaturePCsheet.pdf

Just for playtesting.

Going to try and get some playtesting done on Creatures this weekend.  Presuming all goes is planned.

Playtesting went alright. I know I need to right a lot more, at this moment a lot is undefined that needs to be set down more firmly.

Two PC's, one a giant Wolf, the other a fierce dragon played a game of Magic Orb--where a teleporting orb had to be captured and brought back to home base to score. Flying, climbing, chasing and magic are all allowed. But you can't attack your opponent directly.  My nephew kept forgetting the not-direct attack rule with his dragon and kept wanting too. While my neice was happy just to use a howl to knock the ball from his hands..




I'm considering simpifying the mechanics down a bit.

Got to to more testing. At the moment I'm trying to work my idea for magic into the entire system. My idea was that utilizing a creatures magic is innate, but they still must set conditions for more powerful effects. Each condition gives them another die to roll to beat the target number. Ex: A dragon wishes to fire a blast of freezing air (being an ice dragon) that hits a large group in a cone before them. They set the condition "cannot retry" and "takes extra time" and get 2 additional dice to roll added to their pool for magic to see if it works.

If I do this for the system in its entirety it will be interesting to see. (So someone who takes time to aim their tail strike sets the condition "takes time" essentially and gets a die to roll to hit--beyond their base pool.)


Not sure how it will work yet.

Any news?

Still working on it. I've got an artist doing some art, and I'm working on it back burner style. (Which means a few paragraphs now and then and throwing more ideas at it.)